Last week, Lower School students honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through creative, community-focused experiences that celebrated his inspiring message and demonstrated their role in carrying it forward.
Our youngest Trailblazers found hands-on ways to explore these themes, expressing their ideas through creative activities. Pre-Kindergarten crafted tie-dye peace signs and doves with olive branches, while Kindergarten blended a symbolic “peace punch” by mixing juices that represented wishes for the world—embracing kindness, love, and unity. Additionally, Kindergarten classes designed posters for their Peace Parade, sharing their hopes and messages with the Lower School community.
Students in 5th Grade engaged directly with Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech, discussing its meaning and relevance today. They wrote their own statements expressing hopes for the world and contributed individual pieces to a collaborative collage, which unified into a poster reflecting the power of collaboration and shared vision.
Throughout the week, 6th Grade students extended their learning beyond the classroom by reading We Dream a World by Yolanda Renee King to their Lower School peers. In their history classes with Ms. Leah Waxman, they examined the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, and its lasting impact. Their work culminated in a student-created tribute video that demonstrated their research, writing, narration, and original artwork—each element shaped by student voice and understanding.
Culminating the week, students shared the tribute video during an assembly in The Barn led by 6th Graders. The presentation featured an original AI-generated song by Eric W. ’32, titled "I Have a Dream," and a performance by the Lower School Step Team—bringing the week’s lessons to life through storytelling, music, and movement. Click here to watch the tribute video in its entirety.
Through these experiences, Sierra Canyon reinforces its commitment to inclusive learning and to empowering student voices. By honoring Dr. King’s legacy, students learn history, cultivate empathy, and gain the skills needed to lead with purpose—connecting the lessons of the past to their own ability to effect change.
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